288 Journal and Correspondence

meet on the Monday and not on the Tuesday agreable to my
request. Being in hopes it would be in my power to remove
some prejudices, I desired Majors Hemsley & Emory to
attend at Kent Island (where more than an hundred privates
attended) and determined to go myself to the other field,
where, after the privates were drawn up in one line to the
number of about 60 or 70, M^r James Obryon informed them,
that the business of the day was to chuse Field officers, that
there was a probability of their being now gratified, that he
offered himself a candidate for the first office, and said he
demanded it as a matter of Right for two reasons—First,
because he was the oldest officer in the Battalion and 2^ndly
because he thought himself as well qualified, if not better
than any other. Three Gent were then named to take the
polls, the number of those who voted I cannot with certainty
pretend to say, as I was by the company denyed a copy of the
number of voters, but believe it somewhere between fifty and
sixty. However on the clerks examining their numbers, M^r
Ja OBryon was declared duly elected Col^o M^r James Bordley
Lieut. Col" M^r John Dames 1^st & M^r George Hanse second
major.

While the men were standing up I happened to be in an
argument with M^r Turbutt Wright, a threat was made to
throw us over the fence. I knew it was designed for myself,
however it did not intimidate me from speaking my sentiments.

It is well known that Gent, has publickly advised the people
not to meet in Battalion under any appointment but their own
and he avowed it in the last Convention. It is said that some
of the Gen' Delegates from Q Ann's have wrote over to some
of their friends who have long opposed the Convention, with
regard to their appointment not only of field officers but
other militia officers, that the Convention is disposed to gratify
them in their own appointments, and that now is the time. If
that be the case why does not the Convention signify it to us,
or take the Commissions from us by commissioning others.
The people have been induced to believe they ought not to
submit to any appointments, but those made by themselves, so
that whenever I have requested a meeting of the Batt^a, part
of the officers and five of the companies have met before and
not on the days I appointed. The other four Companies in
the 20^th Batta^l have always conformed to the regulations of
Convention, and I believe approve of the power being lodged
in that Respectable Body.

It appears to me needless to attempt hereafter to call the
Batta' as some of those who have received commissions from
Convention, as well as others, refuse to obey orders, particu-
larly some of those voted for and chosen last Monday.